(𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙙)

"Was he any good?" I said to Effy. We were walking to Cook's 17th birthday party that he invited us to.

"What?"

"Come on, Eff. I don't think either of you had to go to the nurse," I scoffed.

"Ok, so what if I did?" she said as she pushed the door open to the tavern. I shrugged. I was just trying to make conversation. Nothing else. My phone started to ring, and it was Sid.

"Sid, hi! How's the big apple, brother?" I said, smiling wide. I hadn't heard from him in so long.

"It's good. Cass just left to go work at the local diner. I have a job now, and I leave in about half an hour," Sid said.

"Well, what's the job?" I said.

"Receptionist at a doctor's office," he said. Before I could answer, Cook came up to me and asked who was on the phone. When I said Sid, he took my phone and attempted to start a conversation.

"Yo, I finally get to talk to the man who blessed me with that porno mag that he left in his locker," Cook laughed. I grabbed my phone from Cook and pushed him away.

"I'm sorry about that, Sid. My friend found your stuff in your locker. I also saw your beanie in there and washed it when I got home," I said, "Look, I gotta go.

I'll call you later. Bye, love you," I hung up and directed my attention towards the crowd.

➪➪➪➪➪➪➪➪➪➪

The party? Beyond boring. You could barely call it a party. After Pandora threw up, and Katie said that it wasn't even a party, Cook asked us what the rest of us thought.

"It's shit," Effy and I said unanimously. We were always doing that. It was like we had telepathy.

We were all going to leave when Cook said that we were going to crash a party. He didn't say who's or where it was, but to follow him. The bouncer wasn't too keen on letting us in, though, and he and Cook fought until Freddie's sister, Karen, and this blonde girl came outside.

"Freddie, what the fuck are you doing here? You can't come in, it's private," Karen said.

We finally were able to get in when Cook showed them both a packet of drugs, most likely MDMA. It was a big mistake to give Panda the drugs to hold because she ended up swallowing the whole damn thing. The girl was so dumb. Effy and I started dancing later, and I knew Freddie was watching her the whole time.

After that, Cook soon started a brawl which caused total mayhem. We all barely managed to escape and made it to the tunnel. Cook asked us, girls if we fancied a fuck.

"Um, no thanks. You're repulsive," Katie scoffed.

"Hey, you? Weird girl?" he said, gesturing at Pandora.

"You're beautiful, but no. Giving top always feels funny."

"What about you, Jenkins?"

I laughed.

"I'd sooner fuck a horse," I said, looking directly into his eyes. He then turned to Effy.

"Looks like it's just me and you now."

She hesitated before saying "Come on, Bri, let's bounce and take Amy Winehouse home."

We both took Panda home, and we then went back to my place. My mom was sound asleep in the TV room, so I turned the telly off for her.

"How's dear Sid?" Effy said as we walked upstairs.

"He's doing well, he has a job in New York now. How's Tony doing at Cardiff?" I said.

"Good. He's coming home for holidays."

For a long time, I never liked Tony. He was such a dick to Sid, he would use him constantly, and make jokes at his expense. But he's changed now. I mean, getting run over certainly changed him. But even before that, I think he realized that he needed to change and make things right with his girlfriend and friends. I was there with them when Effy was hospitalized for overdosing, and I saw the real side of him. The more human side of him. Effy was the only person who he truly cared for, and it showed.

"Some party tonight, aye?" she said.

"Yea. Boy, does Cook know how to start a wreck," I said, recalling the massive fist/food fight between the two families, "Eff?"

"Yea."

"I think Freddie fancies you."

"I know," she said, struggling to keep her eyes open at this point, "But I can't be with him."

"Why is that?"

"Because I'll break his heart," she said sleepily. She then collapsed on my lap. Man, she must've had a lot to drink. She always gets sleepy after she's had too much to drink. For me, it's the opposite. I'm way too hyper when I'm drunk. So, I put her down next to me, looked up at the ceiling, and waited until the alcohol wore off. About an hour later, I fell asleep.